Automatic governor for fluid-compressors.



Patented, Aug. 26, I902.

2 Sheets-sheaf I.

' Mill,

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lllllllllll INVENTOR niiiiiil ag/HT 7 mmilu' i? lllllllllllllIllllllllllillllllllllllll x mm I J. P; FILLINGHAM. AUTOMATIC GOVERNOR FOB FLUID COMPBESS ORS.

(Application filed. Oct. 12, 1901.)

(No Model.)

& m M T m UNinD STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

JOSEPH P, FILLINGHAM, OF BATTLEOREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF NINE- TENTHS TO RICHARD R. HICKS AND EUGENE L. MARKEY, OF BATTLE- CREEK, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC GOVERNOR FOR FLUlD-COMPRESSORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,687, dated August 26, 1902.

Application filed October 12, 1901. Serial No. 78,489- (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. FILLINGHAM, of Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Governors for Fluid-Compressors; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which [0 form part of this specification.

This invention is an improved automatic governor for fluid-compressors particularly designed for use in connection with air-brake apparatus for street-railway cars, in which apparatus the air is compressed into suitable reservoirs by means of air-pumps actuated directly or indirectly from the car-axles; and the object of the invention is to produce a simple and eifect-ive form of governor by which the pump or compressor will be relieved from duty, although continuing its motions, when the pressure of air in the storage'reservoir reaches a predetermined limit and by which the effective operation of the pump will be resumed when the pressure in the reservoir falls below the desired limit.

Another object of the invention is to connect the relief-port with the crank-case,-so that when the pump is working idly the air 0 will be circulated between the pump and crank-case without going to the exterior atmosphere, thus reducing-the amount of dust and grit which would otherwise be drawn into the apparatus if the relief-port vented 5 into the open. Furthermore, by such construction any oil sucked into the pump or relief-valves can be driven back into the crankcase without waste, and the disagreeable hissing noise of the escaping air is prevented.

A further object of the invention is to enable the pump to be relieved of duty without disturbing either its inlet or outlet valvesthat is, neither of such valves must be held open or unseated during the ineffective or 5 non-compressing strokes of the pump.

My invention is embodied in the peculiar novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described whereby the foregoing objects are attained, and the features thereof wherein the invention consists and upon which protection is desired are summarized in the claims following the detailed description of said governor, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a simple form of air-compressor adapted to be operated from a car-axle and havingmy governor applied and partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1, showing the location of the governor. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the governor on line 4 4, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly broken, of the governor combined in one casing with the main compressor-valves. Fig. 6 isa vertical section on line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the governor-valve G.

The air pump or compressor shown in drawings comprises a cylinder A, closed at its outer end and connected atits inner end to a crank-case B, and within the cylinder is a piston A, connected by a pitman a to a crank-gear B within case B, said gear being driven by a pinion c from one of the caraxles '0. These parts are merely conventionally illustrated in drawings,'as any wellknown or preferred construction thereof'may be employed.

Attached to the cylinderA, near the rear side thereof, is the valve-chamber D, which has an inlet (1 at bottom controlled by a valve D, and at center, above valve D, is a port D which opens directly into the rear end of the pump. Above port D is the outlet-port d, which is closed by a valve D setlike valve D; but owing to the intermediate connection of port D the valves D D will be unseated alternately by the inrush and ontrush of air to and from port D in the effective working operation of the pump, in which the inward 9o stroke of piston A sucks air through ports d D into the cylinder, (valve D remaining seated,) while on the outstroke of the piston A air is forced through ports D d to the reservoir-chamber S, a pipe or port d3 con- 5 meeting port d above the valve D with said reservoir.

The relief-valve chamber E may be located at any convenient point. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, it is located somewhat remote from the loo pump-valve chamber D, the port A leading through the wall of the cylinder-head to said chamber E, which is attached to the cylinderhead near its lower side, while valve-chamber D is attached to the side of cylinder at a point above casing E. As shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the relief-valve chamber E is just beside the pn mp-valve chamber D. The relative location of the valve-chambers D E is a matter of choice and does not materially affect their cooperative relation or structure.

Within the relief-valve chamber E is a double-headed relief-valve e 6, having a cupleather on each end and a central annular channel 6 adapted to register with the reliefport A (or 61 when the valve is in its uppermost position, and when the valve is in its lowermost position the relief-port is closed by part 6 of the relief-valve. As shown in Fig. 2, the relief-port A enters chamber E near its center and leads therefrom directly through the cylinder-head into the working chamber of the pump. As shown in Fig. 6, the relief-port (Z opens into the chamber E near its center and extends directly through the Walls of chambers D Eand communicates with the chamber D intermediate ports 61 d. Said port 61 therefore constantly communicates with the working chamber of the pump through port D Thus in both cases the relief-port is always constantly open to the working chamber and is controlled by the position of the relief-valves e e in the chamber E.

In the wall of chamber Eare two portsff, leading from opposite ends of said chamber and opening near each other into the goveruor-valve cham ber F, which is parallel with and beside chamber E and contains the piston H, upon the stem h of which the governorvalve G is secured, which controls the admission of air to and from chamberE. Piston H is closely fitted in the chamber F, below governor-valve G, and is pressed upwardly by means of a helical expansion-spring I, con tained within a threaded bushing F, screwed into the lower end of chamber F and closed by an adjusting-nut F which is locked bya jam-nut F as shown. The inner end of bushing F serves as a stop to limit the downward movement of piston H and valve G. The governor-valve G is segmental in cross section, so that it will not obstruct passage of air into and from chamber F above piston H, and it is confined on stem it between the piston H and a spider H on the upper end of rod h, being prevented from rotating on the stem by a pin 9 engaging a notch in piston H, and the latter is kept from rotating by a pin 77/ engaging a slot in stem h.

In the walls of chamber F are two independent ports t' t, which respectively open into said chamber near the mouths of the ports ff, as shown, ports ft'f 2" being controlled by the valve G, which has a central passage g opening into the valve-chamber F, and an upper and a lower pocket 9 g, re-

spectively adapted to establish communication between ports f t' when the governorvalve G is lowered or between ports f 1} when the governor-valve G is raised, and when the governor-valve G is lowered passage g establishes communication between the air-space in the upper part of chamber F and the lower part of chamber E through port f, and when governor-valve G is raised its passage 9 establishes communication between the upper parts of chambers E and F through the portf.

The upper part of chamber F is continually filled with compressed air from the reservoir S through the connecting-passage d, which leads directly or indirectly from chamber D above valve D to chamber F, according to the relative locations of said chambers.

Relief-chamber E has an outlet-port E which may communicate with the atmosphere, as in Fig. 6, if desired; but I preferably connect this port by a pipe or passage A leading through the wall of the cylinder A, with the interior of the crank-case B, so that when the pump is working idly the air will be impelled back and forth between the crank-casing and pump-chamber, in which case the disagreeable noise incident to the rapid passage of air through a small open port is obviated, less dust gets into the working cylinder, and consequently into the working parts, than occurs where the relief-ports communicate directly with the atmosphere, and any oil which may get into the working cylinder or relief-valve chamber and ports will be expelled into the crank-chamber.

For convenience in construction port d may be formed in a tubular plug D screwed into the lower end of chamber D, and the upper end of said chamber may be closed by a removable screw-cap D. In like manner the ends of chamber E may be closed by removable screw-caps E E and the upper end of chamber F may be closed by a removable screw-cap F affording a cheap construction and permitting easy access to working parts.

Operation: So long as the pressure of air in the reservoir S (and therefore in ports d d and air-space of chamber F) does not exceed the predetermined limit the parts will maintain the position indicated in Figs. 4 and 6, spring I holding piston H and governorvalve G raised against pressure of the air in chamber F, so that portfis in communication with the chamber F through passage 9 while port f communicates with the atmosphere through pocket g and port t", in which position the air-pressure holds the relief-valve in its lowermost position and relief-ports d (or A and E* are closed and the pump continues to compress air into the reservoir. As soon as the pressure rises above the desired point the air overcomes the resistance of spring I and forces piston H and governor-valve G downward, thereby bringing passage g into register with port f, so that air enters chamber E below valve 6 from chamber F, and at the same time port is brought into commucation with the atmosphere, (through pocket 9 and port 2,) whereupon the air forces the relief valve e e upward, establishing communication through channel e between ports d (or A and E so that the pump ceases to act eifectively and air is merely sucked back and forth through ports A E A between the crank chamber and working chamber of pump, (in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3,) or the air will be merely circulated idly through ports E (1 D between the atmosphere and the working cylinder, (in the arrangement shown in Figs. 4: and 6.) In either arrangement it will be noted that the main pump-valves D D become inoperative and remain seated. If the pressure in reservoir S falls below the desired point, spring I overcomes the air-pressure in the governorvalve chamber F and raises piston H and governor valve G, thereby reestablishing communication between portf and the atmosphere and between portf and the interior of chamber F, so that the reliefvalve is driven back to lowermost position and the relief-port (d or A is closed, whereupon the compression of air is immediately resumed by the pump.

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is

l. The combination of the pump-chamber, the relief-port communicating therewith, and with the atmosphere, a relief-valve chamber into which said port opens, and a relief-valve in said chamber, adapted to close said reliefport in one position and open same in another position; with a governor-valve chamber, a passage for admitting air which has been compressed by the pump into one end of said governor-valve chamber, a governorvalve operated one way by air-pressure, a spring for forcing said governor-valve in the other direction, adjoining pairs of ports leading respectively from the governor-valve chamber to the atmosphere, and to opposite ends of the relief-valve chamber, said governor-valve being adapted to establish communication through said ports between one end of the relief-valve chamber and the governor-valve chamber, and between the other end of the relief-valve chamber and the atmosphere, or vice versa, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the pump, the reliefvalve chamber, the valve therein, the adjoininggovernor-valve chamber, the piston therein, a spring for moving said piston in one di rection, and means for admitting air which has been compressed by the pump into said chamber to move the piston against the spring, air-ports opening near their adjoining ends into the air-space of the governorvalve chamber, and at their other ends into opposite ends of the relief-valve chamber, and exhaust or venting ports adjacent to the air-ports and respectively opening at one end into the air-space of the governor-valve chamher near the mouths of the air-ports and at their other ends into the atmosphere; with a governor-valve in the governor-valve chamber, operated by the piston therein, having a central passage communicating with the airspace of the governor valve chamber and adapted to register with either of the said airports, said governor-valve also having two pockets respectively adapted to alternately establish communication between the respective air-ports and the related venting-ports, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the pump, the reliefvalve chamber communicating therewith, the double-ended relief-valve in said chamber, and an outlet-port from said chamber communicating with the atmosphere; with the governor valve chamber beside the reliefvalve chamber, apassage for admitting air which has been compressed by the pump into said governor-valve chamber, air-ports leading from the governor-valve chamber to the opposite ends of the relief-valve chamber, and two vent-ports adjacent to the air-ports leading from said governor-valve chamber to the atmosphere; with the slide-valve having passage g communicating with the air-space in the governor-chamber, and pockets 9, g respectively adapted to establish communication between adjacent air and vent ports, a piston carrying said slide-valve, and an adjustable spring for holding the piston against the air-pressure, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of an air-pump, an airstoring reservoir communicating therewith, and the main air inlet and outlet valves; with a relief-valve chamber adjacent to'said valves, ports connecting the same with the pump and with the atmosphere, a relief-valve in said chamber adapted to normally close said ports, a governor-valve chamber communicating at one end with the reservoir; a piston in said governor-valve chamber adapted to be depressed by the pressure of the air which has been compressed by the pump, a spring for raising said piston opposite portsleading from the air-space of the governor-valve chamber to the opposite ends of the relief-valve chamber above and below the relief-valve; Ventports leading from the governor-valve chamher to the atmosphere, a governor-valve in said governor-valve chamber actuated by the piston, and adapted to establish communication between either relief-valve port andthe governor-valve chamber, and the other reliefvalve port and the atmosphere so as to cause the compressed air to actuate the relief-valve and render the pump effective or ineffective in operation, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the working cylinder or pump-cylinder, its inlet and outlet valves, a relief-port communicating with said cylinder intermediate the valves, a reliefvalve, a governor-valve chamber beside the one way by the air which has been compressed by the pump; a spring for forcing said piston in the opposite direction; opposite air-ports leading from the air-chamber in the governorvalve casing to the relief-valve casing and opening thereinto on opposite sides of the relief-valve, adjacent vent-ports in the walls of the governor-valve chamber, and a governorvalve operated by the piston controlling said opposite air-ports and adjacent vent-ports, and means for venting one end of the governor-valve casing when air is admitted to the opposite end thereof.

6. The combination of the pump-cylinder, the pump-valve chamber, the adjacent valves therein, ,the relief-valve chamber, a reliefport leading from the pump-valve chamber between the valve therein to the atmosphere, a relief-valve adapted to close said relief-port in one position and open it in another position; a governor-valve chamber, airports leading from the governor-valve chamber to the relief-valve chamber and opening therein, at opposite sides of the relief-valve, and vent-ports leading from the governor-valve chamber to the atmosphere, a slide-valve in the governor-valve chamber for controlling said air and vent ports, a piston connected to and actuating said slide-valve, a passage conmeeting the pump-valve chamber with the governor-valve chamber to admit air which has been compressed by the pump into the governor-valve chamber above the piston, and a spring for holding the piston against the air-pressure, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the pump-cylinder, the crank-case, the relief-valve chamber, a port leading from said chamber to the pump, and a second port leading from said reliefvalve chamber to the crank-case; with a relief-valve in said chamber, and means controlled by the air-pressure whereby said relief-valve is opened when the pressure rises above the desired degree, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the pump, the pumpvalves at one side thereof, the compressedair reservoir, and the crank-case, the reliefport for the pump; a relief-valve chamber communicating therewith, a port or passage connectingsaid relief-valve chamber with the crank-case, a relief-valve in said chamber, a governor-valve chamber, ports connecting the governor-valve chamber with the reliefvalve chamber, and ports leading from the governor-valve chamber to the atmosphere; a valve in the governor-valve chamber controlling all ports thereof, a spring for holding the governor-valve against the air-pressure, and an air-channel leading from the reservoir to the governor-valve chamber above the valve therein, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination of the pump-cylinder, the crank-case, the relief-valve chamber, a port leading from said chamber to the pump, another port leading through said cylinderwall to the crank-case, a relief-valve in said chamber adapted to close said ports in one position and open them in another position; a governor-valve chamber beside the reliefvalve chamber, ports leading from the governor-valve chamber to the relief-valve chamber and opening therein at opposite sides of the relief-valve, aslide-valvein the governorvalve chamber for controlling said ports, a piston connected to and actuating said slidevalve, a passage for admitting compressed air into the governor-valve chamber above the piston, and a spring for holding the piston against the air-pressure, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. Thecombination ofthepump, itscrankcase, the pump-valves at one side of the cylinder, the compressed-air reservoir, a reliefvalve chamber directly communicating with the pump, a port or passage leading from said relief-Valve chamber to the crank-case, a relief-valve in said chamber, a governor-valve chamber beside the relief-valve chamber, ports connecting the governor-valve chamber with opposite ends of the relief-valve chamber,and ports leading from the governorvalve chamber to the atmosphere, a slidevalve in the governor-valve chamber, controlling all ports thereof; a piston in said governor-valve chamber actuating said slide valve, a spring for holding the piston against the air-pressure, and an air-passage leading from the reservoir to the governorvalve chamber above the piston, all substantially as and for purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH P. FILLINGHAM.

In presence of' ARTHUR GREENE, JANET F. CLARK. 

